Golden State Killer Victims Could Be Eligible for Restitution in California

Joseph James DeAngelo, the suspected “Golden State Killer”, appears in court for his arraignment on April 27, 2018 in Sacramento. (Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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A proposed bill related to the state budget may make alleged victims of the Golden State Killer or East Area Rapist eligible for restitution from a fund used to compensate victims of crimes.

Senate Bill 858, which has passed the Senate budget committee and is now being considered by the Assembly’s budget committee, was introduced at the behest of Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration. It’s expected to receive a vote in both houses over the next few days.

It it passes, the California Victims Compensation Board will be able to compensate victims who come forward before the end of 2019. Normally victims of a crime must seek restitution from the board within three years of the crime being committed.

Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. has been charged in the shooting deaths of two people in Sacramento and 10 more counts of murder in three other counties. He’s also suspected of committing around 50 rapes across the state in the 1970s and 80s.